Two things that consume my thoughts these days; the church plant and making the right choices for a better lifestyle.

The church plant; Triple Pointe Church...that's the name that's been selected. Our prayer is that for all the reasons we think it's a great name, other will also think so and will be drawn in. Our friends have made their move back to Fort Wayne. They just arrived last weekend and we got to spend part of the day with them today. I remember the days of having boxes gallore and feeling displaced even though I was at my home. And all the unexpected glitches. For example a washer and/or dryer that fail to wash and/or dry mountains of clothes and sheets. I just finished washing and drying sheets for my dear friend!!!

I'm not at all shocked that God is moving! The closer we get to actually digging our heels in and doing this thing, the more opportunities God is laying directly in my path...and the paths of others I know. One example; Andrew's swimming teacher. I've had the opportunity to talk with her on various occasions while Andrew plays in the water either before or after his lessons. She has openly shared some difficult circumstances within her family and I have been able to empathize with my own experience. I look forward to the day that I will see her and her family walk through the doors of our church.

My lifestyle change; interestingly, the church plant is one of the scariest and exciting prospects I've ever had in my life and it's sure to be difficult at times, but this healthy lifestyle thing is by the far the hardest thing I've ever done. Albeit, absolutely necessary! Without sharing details, I'll tell you that I am easily at my top weight of my lifetime. I have always felt that I could conquer it when I was ready, but finally reached a point a couple weeks ago where I felt completely incapable and weak!
I solicited the help of a coach and a friend. My dad! My dad has coached me before in the more traditional sense and now I was asking him to coach me one on one, even from miles away. So now, each and every day, sometimes several times a day, my dad text messages me to hold me accountable and see how I'm doing. That one little extra thing makes this attempt dramatically different than all my attempts from the past. It has really helped. And I have had success for over two weeks. And by success I am not saying that I am starving myself or doing some other wacky, temporary diet plan. Every day I am driven to make the best choices with my eating and exercise.

It feels good to wake up in the morning and know that I've done everything the day before that I could to maximize not just my weight loss, but also the general health of my body. And so I want to do it again and again and again. NOT EASY! Just necessary. There are days, in fact today is one of them, when I want to binge on crappy food that satisfies but for a moment. Sometimes it is moment by moment literally. No one can understand this completely unless they've dealt with addiction. For me, empty, but tasty food will stare at me until I eat it. That's how it feels anyway. I'm sure like a bottle of alcohol does for an alcoholic. So I fill my kitchen and fridge with foods full of nutrients that actually taste good. And I feel better about myself.

Two other things different about this final time around:
1. I have banned the use of a scale except for every 6 weeks (if that). The scale is not a friend of mine and never has been. I think it's deceiving to step on a scale every week (or every day). The proof is in how I feel!
2. Prayer. Like everything else in my life, I cannot do this alone. I have tried many, many times and I cannot do it. Not only have I enlisted my dad's support, I have committed to laying down my weakness at the throne of God Almighty each and every day. I must!